Mass protests in Israel against Netanyahu, 9 arrested

Thousands of Israelis protested on Monday evening against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in the Gaza Strip and demanded early elections.

The Israeli police reported nine arrests during the night, some for resisting or assaulting law enforcement officers, and stated that some of their officers had been “slightly injured”.

The protest was organised about a week after the resignation of two centrist leaders, Israeli war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, from the government of national unity formed after the Hamas attack on October 7.

The departure of these opposition leaders has not affected the majority held by Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party and its allies, including far-right and ultra-Orthodox factions, in the Knesset (the Israeli parliament).

Protesters gathered outside the Knesset and in front of Netanyahu’s residence on Monday, calling for the Prime Minister’s resignation and early elections.

A senior Israeli official involved in the indirect negotiations for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip stated on Monday to the French Press Agency that the government is “certain” that dozens of them are still alive. “We cannot leave them there for long, they will die,” he added.

The demonstrators once again called for a ceasefire between the Israeli military and Hamas to allow the hostages to return home.

“Everyone! Now!”, they chanted, before observing a moment of silence for the hostages still in the Palestinian enclave.

Many wore t-shirts with slogans such as “Stop the War” or “We Are All Equal”.

Similar rallies have been held repeatedly in recent weeks, with tens of thousands of people participating, especially in Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest city.